Avanti Uno Due 06 - normally $3999 now $2499 Medium/Small
Tandem Riding
Hints
Tandems are fun, and with two engines for the same frontal area, they’re considerably faster than
single bikes. Tandem teams learn to ride together well, to communicate faster
without words, and to anticipate each other’s desires. Tandeming is a great way to
enjoy cycling with another person.
Tandems are serious business
too. One rider (The Captain) is entirely responsible for the well-being of the
other rider (The Stoker). The bike is bigger, heavier, and less forgiving of sloppy
riding habits. A tandem captain can’t be as spontaneous as a rider on a single, nor
can the captain make the same kinds of last –minute recoveries from errors in
judgement.
Look further ahead, plan further
ahead.
Also, be aware that tandems
attract attention. People will stare, wave or shout. Passing cars,
temporarily distracted, will often swerve in or out. The presence of a tandem can
make people act differently on the road. A bell or air horn can be very handy in
traffic.
The Captain’s
Responsibility:
The captain’s primary job is to
make the stoker happy. With an unhappy stoker, the captain won’t have a riding
partner! So you must reassure your partner with careful, methodical riding
habits. Anticipate manoeuvres, beginning them far in advance. Be alert
to the stoker because she/he can’t fix it. Watch the road or trail ahead, and make
your steering and braking corrections smoothly.
Ride slightly further from the
kerb and from parked cars than you would on a single bike. Your stoker doesn’t
want to feel hemmed in. If you ride too far to the left, you may find your stoker
leaning to the right, trying to veer away from the curb.
When you conduct a manoeuvre, such
as merging across traffic to make a right turn or steering around a pothole, make your decision
early. Signal your intentions clearly, proceed on a straight path, and complete
the manoeuvre. A decisive captain will ride smoother, and that will make the stoker
happier.
Most new tandem riders find
captaining exhausting, and they get sore shoulder muscles from being tense. This
too will pass. As you become accustomed to the requirements of captaining a tandem,
you will develop a light touch.
Don’t go too fast if your stoker
is nervous, ride slowly. In time, the stoker may become more confident and ask for
more speed. But if she/he wants to go slow, then
Go slow! The more
conservative voice must prevail. That’s only fair. Remember, you are
the chauffeur, not the stunt pilot.
The Stoker: The Best Seat in the
House
The back seat on a tandem is the
fun seat. You have this person in front of you who’s giving all his/her attention
to making you feel comfortable. The view is terrific out to all sides, just like on a
train ride. The view to the front may be a bit bland, but the captain’s jersey
pockets are a great place to put your binoculars, camera radio, fruit bars, and other hedonistic
goodies.
Your obligations are few: Pedal –
at an agreed-upon effort level. Pedal smoothly, so your pedalling doesn’t make
your upper body move around. Don’t shift your upper body weight abruptly. (Your
weight shift can inadvertently steer the bike and force the captain to fight you.)
Hold your head high and enjoy the scenery. Tell your captain what she/he is missing
while she/he keeps eyes glued to the road for potholes.
Many tandem teams delegate hand
turning signals to the stoker. This not only encourages communication between the
stoker and the captain, it also allows the captain to concentrate on the steering and braking
involved in making the manoeuvre.
Every successful stoker learns to
delegate authority. The captain steers. The captain decides when to
pedal and when to coast. When coasting, the captain decides where to position the
pedals. Never fight the captain on these matters. She/he is giving you
a great ride so you can enjoy yourself.
Getting
Underway:
Allow time for a complete pre-ride
inspection of the bike.
Starting
Off:
Starting and stopping a tandem can
be smooth and easy if you do everything in the exact prescribed order. Start by
shifting the bike into a comfortable low gear.
The captain mounts
first. Before, and only before anyone gets on the bike, it can be leaned over to
lower the clearance to straddle the bike. Swing your leg forward over the handlebars,
not over the rear of the bike. There might be a person standing there! Straddle the
top tube, plant your feet on the ground, and spread your legs to clear the pedals.
Firmly hold the bike upright and squeeze both brakes.
Never let the bike lean to the
side, particularly after the stoker gets on. This is the biggest difference
between your tandem and a single. Your single is so light that you don’t think twice about leaning
on it. The tandem is not only heavy, it is top heavy. Once you let it
lean a little, the stoker’s weight makes it want to lean more.
The stoker just hates the way it
feels!
The stoker gets on
now. Because the captain is holding the bike rock solid, the stoker can mount it
like a horse. Put one foot on a pedal and swing your other leg rearward over the
saddle. Now the stoker puts both feet in the toe clips or clipless
pedals. When you are ready, back pedal so the captain’s preferred starting pedal is
in the up position. Say “Ready” and off you go.
Now the captain can
start. Pick up one foot, put it on a pedal, and stand on it while steering
straight ahead. (Don’t put your rear end on the seat before starting to pedal,
because that could make the bike lean over and wobble, and possibly fall.)
After you’ve started the first
pedal stroke, get in the saddle, and put your other foot on the backside of the pedal, and continue
pedalling and steering. Don’t worry about the toe clip or clipless
pedals. Let the toe clip scrape the ground. Pedal until you are going
comfortably fast (15 kph or so), and then put your other foot in the toe clip or clipless
pedals.
Stopping:
If you stop briefly, say, for a
traffic light, the captain stops the bike while the stoker stays strapped in. The
captain takes one foot off the pedal, dismounts from the seat, and puts the foot on the ground
while holding the bike absolutely upright. Starting up again is just like your
initial start-up. The captain should let the stoker know what’s happening – talk to
one another – no surprises!
To stop and dismount, reverse the
mounting procedure. The captain gets off the seat, spreads legs to clear the
pedals and brace the bike upright while the stoker climbs off. Then the captain can
dismount.
Slow Speed
Riding:
Tandems are stable and easy to
manoeuvre at slow speeds. But they need a confident captain who doesn’t
overcorrect or induce wobbling. A smooth style is the key to good slow speed
riding. After you know your tandem well, you will find you can make a U-turn on a
narrow two lane road.
Communication
Some tandem teams talk a lot about
riding. They inform each other of every bump, every shift, every time they slow
down, every drink from a water bottle. Others almost never talk. They
prefer to communicate silently. Whichever style you pick is up to you.
Just pick the one that works for you.
One important co-ordination
activity may require talking, at least at first: shifting.
The reason being that on a single
bike, riders intuitively let up on the pedals when they are shifting. On a tandem,
the stoker doesn’t necessarily do that. This is hard on derailleurs (especially front
derailleurs) and may make shifts more difficult. Make sure you both let up on the pedals during
critical shifts. Whether you do that by talking or by the stoker feeling when the
captain is about to shift is up to you.
I use and can supply an intercom
system so that you can communicate using normal voice levels. They are fantastic and I wonder why I
rode without one for so long, it makes keeping in touch a breeze!
Only $179.00 a
set
WARNING:
Good communication between the
captain and stoker increases the safety and enjoyment of the ride.
Miscommunication or poor co-ordination increases the chances of being involved in an
accident.
New Tandem
Riders:
Before riding on a more
challenging course, choose an open area free of hazards to practice and develop good tandem
communication skills.
Braking:
Tandems can stop shorter than
single bikes on pavements.
The reason? A
single bike’s braking performance is limited by the physics of pitching the rider over the front
wheel. The tandem has the stoker’s weight to hold the rear wheel down, so pitchover doesn’t
apply.
The tandem’s braking force on
pavement is limited by the friction between the tyre and the road. How great is
that? It depends on the road and the tyre, and there is no way to measure
it. Since you don’t want a front wheel skid, don’t be too bold. On good
pavement, you can stop slightly more abruptly than you would on a single bike.
Remember to gauge this by the deceleration, not by the brake hand lever effort. On
poor pavement, unpaved surfaces, in wet conditions, sand, oil, or other debris, brake
gingerly. Slow down drastically – before you reach such surfaces.
Tandems, like singles, get most of
their braking force from the front wheel. The rear wheel is more prone to
skidding. The right hand lever normally controls the front brake. Apply
front braking more than the rear brake for maximum stopping power. Brake before
turns, not in them. If you must brake in a turn then do it with the rear
brake.
Tandems are much faster than
singles on downhills so GO SLOW and control your speed until you are
competent.
WARNING!
When descending a long downhill,
apply your front and rear brakes TOGETHER in an “on again, off again” method allowing brief periods
in between for the brake system to cool. Why? Read on………………….
When used for long periods of
continuous braking in mountainous terrain, rim brakes will heat the rims. Heat
build up in the rim can overheat the air in the inner tube, possibly resulting in a tyre
blowout.
During long downhill descents in
mountainous terrain, there is a risk that hydraulic brake systems will fade or lessen braking force
as heat grows in the pads, fluids, and callipers from friction. Under extreme
conditions, your brakes could fade or “fade-out” completely. You could be severely
injured as a result.
Maintenance
Keep your tandem in perfect
shape. We urge you to work with a retailer who is experienced with
tandems.
Some components (chains,
derailleurs, headsets and tyres) get more wear and tear than on single bikes.
These items should be maintained as on your single bike, but more frequently and more
carefully.
Tyrepressure is
critical. Low tyre pressure invites pinch-cut flats, while high pressure improves
your performance and makes the tyres last longer. Use the maximum pressure named on
the tyre sidewall.
Cables are
critical. Because of their length, they are vulnerable to poor performance from
cable friction or poor cable routing. Spokes, handlebar stems, and other components
must be inspected for tightness every month, or after every long ride. The front
derailleur needs visual inspection, since you can’t see it when you are riding (as on your single
bike).
The timing chain – between the two
cranksets – is unique to tandems. It stretches in normal use, and must be kept
tight. A loose timing chain can flop sideways and snag a crank arm, or it can come
off entirely.
Hold the chain in its middle and
wiggle it up and down. You should be able to wiggle it about 1 cm, and no more. If
it moves more than 1 cm take it to an experienced tandem retailer for tightening.
The timing chain should be checked
for tightness every 400 to 500 kms. Buy a chain wear indicator to know when to
replace both chains. A tandem has a lot of expensive chainwheels and cogs, so the
chain wear indicator will quickly pay for itself.
Tandem Bike
Fit
In addition to sizing and comfort
issues for each individual, the bike must be
made to accommodate the
interaction between the two riders. This document is meant to offer hints and
suggestions but only scratches the surface of tandem setup. The best configuration
for any pair of cyclists on a tandem will be the result of experimentation. You
should investigate the pros and cons of any setup decisions by first consulting with people or
publications which are knowledgeable about tandem bicycles.
The captain should fit the tandem
as she/he would fit on a single bike. But on a tandem, it is doubly important to
have 5-6 cms of crotch clearance for the starting and stopping manoeuvres described
earlier.
The stoker uses the same seat-to
pedals distance as on a single bike. But the handlebars will be closer (which is
okay, since the stoker doesn’t need to steer).
Riding at
Night
Most of tandem safety comes from
good technique, which I have described above.
A few specific warnings merit
mention though.
Riding a tandem at night is legal
if you have a headlight and a taillight – but we don’t recommend it for first
timers! Night time riding is more mentally demanding than day time
riding. Tandem riding is more mentally demanding than single riding.
Riding a tandem at night increases demand, and reduces the margin for error unless you have
exceptional lighting.
A tandem is a pleasure vehicle, so
use it during the day – the most pleasant time to ride until - you are experienced and want to come
and join us on the annual Nelson to Christchurch ride.
Qualifications:
Thanks go to Cannondale for
highlighting most of these tips from their manual. I ride and recommend Cannondale tandems which
have a very affordable range of sizes and styles available. We usually have a couple in store to
try out.
I have completed 6 Rainbow Rages
on MTB tandems, 6 Nelson to Christchurch team races on tandem, Lake Taupo Challenges, Lakes to Sea,
the original Source to Sea 7 or 8 years ago and many other fun rides like Rotoiti to Renwick, The
Brass Nipple, The Naked Bun ride as well as regular racing with Star and Garter Wheelers which is a
buzz.
I can put any regular rider on the
back of my tandem and he will be able to ride fine. Non riders require more instruction but soon
learn tandem techniques.
My present stoker is blind and we
have an absolute ball riding and racing, what other sport can he do now he is
blind!
Tandems are a great way for people
of different abilities to ride enjoyably together.
Try it you will love
it!
Mike
Watson
Stewarts Avanti Plus Nelson
Stockists of these brands
 |
 |
|
CANNONDALE
|